The following are summaries of today's major stories published in the Arabic press. LBCI does not edit press digest articles for content, giving English-language readers insight into the various views expressed in newspapers across the Arab world.
Al-Akhbar daily reported that MP Walid Jumblatt requested to delay the hearing of his testimony at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, asking to be the last on the tribunal’s list of witnesses.
In this regard, sources say that Jumblatt is preparing his testimony to be delivered before the judges, in a way that does not affect the dialogue held between the Lebanese rival parties, while preserving security and stability.
Al-Hayat newspaper quoted political sources following up on the fifth dialogue session between Hezbollah and the Future Movement in Ain al-Tineh, as saying that the meeting ended with agreement between the parties on the need to impose the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1701.
In this regard, the sources added that Hezbollah’s representatives said that this resolution has no alternatives, stressing that the national unity cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Tammam Salam is committed to the implementation of this decision.
According to the same sources, the Future’s delegates noted that Lebanon has no interest in being dragged into the Israeli schemes aiming at destabilizing the country.
Al-Joumhouria daily reported that the visit of the head of the French Foreign Ministry's Middle East and North Africa Department, Jean-François Girault does not aim at conducting negotiations or any mediation, but aims instead at facilitating the issue of the presidential vacuum.
“He did not bring with him any initiatives or names of candidates, but he came to be informed on the latest developments in the case of the presidential issue since his last visit two months ago,” the daily added.
According to the newspaper, head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun met with Girault and told him that the preparations are underway in order to set up a meeting with Lebanese Forces Chief Samir Geagea, noting that discussions are ongoing in order to define the main headlines of the meeting’s agenda.
Former Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi stressed that the interior minister does not have the right to halt the registration of civil marriage contracts in Lebanon, and which were proven to be legal by the consultation higher committee at the Justice Ministry.
In a statement to as-Safir daily, Qortbawi stressed that the committee based its decision on the legal general principles, the Lebanese Constitution and the decision number 60 issued by the French High Commissioner in 1936, which serves to organize sectarianism in Lebanon.